IBS Doctrinal Statement

The Bible

We believe the sixty-six books in the Old and New Testaments to be the fully inspired, infallible, authoritative Word of God, and to be completely free from error (inerrant) in the original manuscripts. We believe the Scriptures should be interpreted according to the intended meaning of the original author as would have been understood by those who heard him.

The Person of God

We believe there is one God, one in essence but eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit having precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections and worthy of precisely the same homage, confidence, and obedience.

The Person of Christ

We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, fully divine and fully human. We believe in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.

The Salvation of the Lost

We believe that all men are sinful, lost, and destined for eternal judgment. Regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for the salvation of sinful men. Salvation is by grace through faith alone in Christ alone as their personal Savior apart from any works; it is a free gift. Furthermore, justification is not a process, but an event, received by faith when the righteousness of Christ is reckoned (imputed) to the believer's account once and for all (2 Cor 5:21).

Saving Faith

We believe that we receive salvation by faith alone in Christ alone. We believe that saving faith involves believing in Christ as who He is as our Lord and Savior, and confidently trusting in the finished work of Christ for the free gift of forgiveness of sins.

Discipleship

We believe that every believer is called to become a mature disciple of Christ by repenting (turning) from his or her sins and submitting daily to the Lordship of Christ in obedience to His teachings and will. It is impossible to please God without submitting to His Lordship.

Evidence of Regeneration

We believe that good works will result from saving faith, but not necessarily as visibly as we desire them to appear and as consistently as the Lord desires them to appear. While discipleship and obedience to Christ as Lord is commanded in the New Testament, it is possible for a true Christian to lapse into disobedience and finish his course walking as a mere man and saved "so as through fire" (1 Cor 3:15).

The Assurance of Salvation

The assurance of salvation is found by looking outward to Christ and the gospel promises, not by looking inward to the evidences of regeneration in the life (Jn 3:36; 1 Jn 5:11-13; Rom 8:31-39). Assurance comes from the believer's contemplation of the gospel promises and the work of the Redeemer. The fruits of faith are helpful as secondary confirmations of one's regenerate state, but their absence does not necessarily invalidate a man's salvation. If a believer is walking biblically and looking dependently to Christ, he will progressively manifest more and more of the fruit of the spirit and less and less of the works of the flesh (Rom 6:1, 11; 8:35-39; Heb 11:1-2).

Eternal Security

Those whom God has chosen before the foundation of the world, efficaciously called into saving faith and regenerated by His Holy Spirit can never fall away from salvation. Rather, they shall be preserved in a state of salvation to the final hour and be eternally saved (Jn 6:38-40; Jn 10:27-29; Rom 5:9-11; 8:29-30).

The Motive for Godly Living

The motive for godly living is not to be found in either fear of losing salvation or wondering if one is saved. Rather, it is to be found (negatively) in the fear of disapproval at the Judgment Seat of Christ (1 Jn 2:28; 1 Cor 3:15), and (positively) in gratitude for a salvation already assured and in anticipation of hearing the Master say, "Well done!" (Mt 25:21; 1 Cor 9:24-27; 2 Cor 5:10). Salvation and rewards are distinct. Salvation comes to us freely without cost via believing. Rewards come to us by faith working through love (Gal 5:6), a life of perseverance in good works.

The Ministry of the Holy Spirit

We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit whose indwelling and filling enables the Christian to live a godly life. This work of the Holy Spirit in cooperation with the believer (Phil 2:12-13) is called progressive sanctification.

We believe that all believers are baptized by the Holy Spirit at the point in time they believe (1 Cor 12:13). The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the ministry of the Holy Spirit by which He places us into the body of Christ, not as a subsequent experience to saving faith.

The Role of Spiritual Gifts and Miracles

We believe that in His sovereignty God still performs miracles today as He chooses often in response to prayer, most commonly in areas of the world where the gospel is advancing into new territory, thereby giving testimony to the truth of the gospel of Christ.

The Future Resurrection

We believe in the bodily resurrection and judgment of all individuals. Believers are resurrected to enjoy eternal life with God and unbelievers are resurrected to eternal suffering apart from God.

The Church

We believe that all who are united to the risen and ascended Son of God are members of Christ's one invisible and universal church. We also believe that local churches exist as expressions of the universal body of Christ, and are essential in the plan and purpose of God.

The Great Commission

We believe it is the responsibility of all who are saved to work toward the fulfillment of the Great Commission. The Great Commission involves four things: (1) witnessing in the power of the Holy Spirit by preaching (i.e., proclaiming) the gospel (Acts 1:8; Mk 16:15); (2) making disciples of all peoples (ethne); (3) baptizing; (4) and teaching all that Christ commanded (Mt 28:18-20).